• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2024

Background: Safety data sheets (SDSs) are hazard communication materials that accompany chemicals/hazardous products in the workplace. Many SDSs contain dense, technical text, which places considerable comprehension demands on workers, especially those with lower literacy skills. The goal of this study was to assess SDSs for readability, comprehensibility, and suitability (i.e., fit to the target audience). Methods: The Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool assessed SDSs for suitability and readability. We then amended the SAM tool to further assess SDSs for comprehensibility factors. Both the original and amended SAM tool were used to score 45 randomly selected SDSs for content, literacy demand, graphics, and layout/typography. Results: SDSs performed poorly in terms of readability, suitability, and comprehensibility. The mean readability scores were Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.6), Gunning Fog index (11.0), Coleman-Liau index (13.7), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook index (10.7), all above the recommended reading level. The original SAM graded SDSs as "not suitable" for suitability and readability. When the amended SAM was used, the mean total SAM score increased, but the SDSs were still considered "not suitable" when adding comprehensibility considerations. The amended SAM tool better identified content-related issues specific to SDSs that make it difficult for a reader to understand the material. Conclusions: In terms of readability, comprehensibility, and suitability, SDSs perform poorly in their primary role as a hazard communication tool, therefore, putting workers at risk. The amended SAM tool could be used when writing SDSs to ensure that the information is more easily understandable for all audiences.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was investigated the characteristics of small-scale water works (SWW) in Gyeongnam area and conduct a health risk assessment of water-quality inspection items unfitted for water-quality standards (WQS). Methods: The characteristics of SWW in Gyeongnam province were analyzed using the data of SWW in the last three years (2014~2016) published in National Waterworks Information System. In addition, the health risk assessment for inspection items unfitted for WQS was carried out in four steps: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Results: The total number of SWW in Gyeongnam area was gradually decreased from 2014 to 2016. In addition, drinking water sources of SWW were in the order of ground water, valley water, spring water, surface water, and river-bed water. The number of points unfitted for WQS in SWW by year was 22, 45, and 18 in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively, and a total of 112 points were found to unfit for WQS in SWW during 2014~2016. The hazard quotient (HQ) for fluoride, nitrate nitrogen, boron in the unfitted points for WQS was more than 1.0, and the mean values for turbidity and color in points unfitted for WQS were 2.38 nephelometric turbidity unit and 16.25 color unit, respectively. Conclusions: The HQ for fluorine, nitrate nitrogen and boron was more than 1.0 in points unfitted for WQS among SWW in Gyeongnam area, and the turbidity and the color degree exceeded WQS, which mean that there is a possibility of harmful impacts on the human health.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2017

A huge number of chemicals are produced and used in the world, and some of them can have negative effects on the reproductive health of workers. To date, most chemicals and work environments have not been studied for their potential to have damaging effects on the workers' reproductive system. Because of the lack of information, many workers may not be aware that such problems can be related to occupational exposures. Newly industrialized countries such as Republic of Korea have rapidly amassed chemicals and other toxicants that pose health hazards, especially to the reproductive systems of workers. This literature review provides an overview of peer-reviewed literature regarding the teratogenic impact and need for safe handling of chemicals. Literature searches were performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Search strategies were narrowed based on author expertise and 100 articles were chosen for detailed analysis. A total of 47 articles met prespecified inclusion criteria. The majority of papers contained studies that were descriptive in nature with respect to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords: "reproductive and heath or hazard and/or workplace or workers or occupations." In the absence of complete information about the safe occupational handling of chemicals in Republic of Korea (other than a material safety data sheet), this review serves as a valuable reference for identifying and remedying potential gaps in relevant regulations. The review also proposes other public health actions including hazard surveillance and primary prevention activities such as reduction, substitution, ventilation, as well as protective equipment.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.42-53
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• 2018

Purpose: this study investigates the effect of private health insurance on healthcare utilization. Methodology: For the analysis, we employed the three level nested two part model. Findings: the private health insurance adoption was associated with higher health care utilization. In particular, indemnity and fixed insurances adoption was associated with higher probability of outpatient visit, the number of outpatient visit and outpatient cost. While indemnity insurance adoption was associated with higher inpatient admission probability and inpatient days, fixed insurance adoption was associated only with higher inpatient admission probability. Practical Implications: indemnity and fixed insurance adoption were related with the adverse selection as well as moral hazard.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2012

Objectives: The AHERA method by the US EPA, ASTM E2356-04, and HSG264 by the UK HSE, all of which are hazard/risk assessment methods for asbestos-containing building materials, were reviewed and compared based on 231 homogeneous areas. In addition, the current Act on Asbestos Safety Management (enforcement: April 29, 2012) was reviewed and analyzed. This trial provided fundamental data for improving the current asbestos hazard/risk assessment method. Methods: For the hazard/risk assessment of 77 asbestos-containing public buildings including schools, 231 homogeneous areas were selected, each of which was assessed using AHERA, ASTM E2356-04, and HSG264. Results: The matching rate of the hazard/risk assessment stood at 20.4 percent between AHERA and ASTM, at 71.4 percent between AHERA and HSG264 and at 17.8 percent between ASTM and HSG264. The AHERA method includes a seven-category rating scale. There were three categories, two of which have three subcategories. ASTM provides two decision-making charts consisting of ten rating scales for current condition estimation and for potential for disturbance estimation. In addition, the HSG264 method has a total of 20 scores with four items, and then provides four grades. This HSG264 method cannot clearly separate current condition and potential for disturbance. Conclusions: In the Korean Act on Asbestos Safety Management, the hazard/risk assessment method for asbestos-containing building materials should consider balance between current condition estimation and the potential for disturbance estimation.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.93-105
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aims to quantitatively determine the impact on nearby risidents by selecting the amount of chemicals emitted from the workplace among the substances subject to the chemical emission plan and predicting the concentration with the atmospheric diffusion program. Method: The selection of research materials considered half-life, toxicity, and the presence or absence of available monitoring station data. The areas discharged from the materials to be studied were selected as the areas to be studied, and four areas with floating populations were selected to evaluate health risks. Result: AERMOD was executed after conducting terrain and meteorological processing to obtain predicted concentrations. The health hazard assessment results indicated that only dichloromethane exceeded the threshold for children, while tetrachloroethylene and chloroform appeared at levels that cannot be ignored for both children and adults. Conclusion: Currently, in the domestic context, health hazard assessments are conducted based on the regulations outlined in the "Environmental Health Act" where if the hazard index exceeds a certain threshold, it is considered to pose a health risk. The anticipated expansion of the list of substances subject to the chemical discharge plan to 415 types by 2030 suggests the need for efficient management within workplaces. In instances where the hazard index surpasses the threshold in health hazard assessments, it is judged that effective chemical management can be achieved by prioritizing based on considerations of background concentration and predicted concentration through atmospheric dispersion modeling.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.45-64
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• 2002

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.470-479
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• 2020

Objectives: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the death of 740,000 people around the world as of August 12, 2020. Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza, and African Swine Fever are serious livestock diseases. Government agencies in Korea have provided ingredient information and usage instructions for disinfectants used to counter those infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to provide information on the chemical ingredients in disinfectant products used against COVID-19 and certain livestock diseases. Methods: We collected information from the Korean government. The Central Disaster Management Headquarters and Central Disease Control Headquarters provided information on disinfectant products used against COVID-19. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency of Korea provided information on efficacy-certified disinfectant products for use against selected livestock diseases. Health hazard and environmental hazard information on the ingredients in the disinfectants was collected from the Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency's Material Safety Data Sheets, and toxicity value information was collected from United States Environmental Protection Agency's CompTox Chemicals Dashboard. Results: There were 76 COVID-19 disinfectant products in use, and the most common ingredients were benzalkonium chloride (51%), alkylbenzyl dimethyl ammonium (30%), and ethanol (3%). There were 216 livestock disease disinfectant products comprised of 89 acidic, 88 oxidic, 30 aldehydic, three alkaline, and six other products. Among the 49 active ingredients used in the disinfectants that were investigated, health and environmental hazard information was provided for many of them, but only 20 chemicals had official toxicological information. Conclusion: Since the disinfectants included numerous chemicals, an understanding of their chemical characteristics could be critical to prevent unintended human or environmental exposure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was performed to propose a domestic occupational exposure limit(OEL) following a health hazard assessment, calculation of a non-carcinogenicity reference concentration worker($RfC_{worker}$) value, and examination of international agencies' exposure limits. It also recommends legal management within the Occupational Safety and Health Act for HCFC-123, which caused an acute hepatotoxicity incident. Methods: An acute hepatotoxicity incident due to the fire extinguishing agent HCFC-123 was investigated. Toxicological hazard and health hazard classifications were examined and a non-carcinogenicity $RfC_{worker}$ value was calculated for HCFC-123. An OEL and the necessity of legal management were recommended as well. Results and Conclusions: An OEL for HCFC-123 of 10 ppm($62.5mg/m^3$), which considered the $RfC_{worker}$ value, 5.56 ppm, produced in dose-response assessment and the exposure level of 19.1-20.9 ppm measured as an eight-hour TWA(time-weighted average) in the incident place, is recommended. HCFC-123 is urged to be included as a chemical requiring legal management in the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations. In addition, it is recommended that a peak exposure of ACGIH be adopted in the Notice of the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.237-254
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aims to classify the latent profiles in the exposure to hazard factors of salaried employees and test the determinants. Methods: Latent profile analysis(LPA) was conducted using data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey(KWCS). 30,050 of salaried employees were the subjects of this study. After classifying the employees, multinomial logistic regression was used to test the determinants. Results: Salaried employees were classified with three latent profiles based on the exposure to the hazard factors. Employees included in class 1(32.8%) tend to experience low level of physical hazard factors, moderate level of psychological hazard factors, and high level of office work hazard factors. Employees included in class 2(61.8%) tend to be exposed to the moderate to high level of physical hazard factors, moderate to low level of psychological hazard factors, and low level of office work hazard factors. Employees included in class 3(5.4%) tend to experience high level of psychological and physical hazard factors, and moderate level of office work hazard factors. After classification, the demographic, health-, and employment-related variables were tested. Conclusions: This study clarified the features of each class, and proved that employees in class 3 are quite hazardous in that they are exposed to physical and psychological hazard factors much more frequently than other employees. Thus, this study can be used in predicting the high-risk employees and taking preemptive measures for preventing industrial accidents.